True story? I don't know. Does anybody know?

Now of course, we assume coordination between these players....
Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Venezuela....uhh, that's called OPEC, a sum greater than the combined nation areas you mentioned....and over half world production the last time I checked.  Let's play through a few of the remaining ones you mentioned...Nigeria, small player, but we need um', Khazakistan, let the devil have the hindmost, no one knows where to find Khazakistan, and only the Europeans care...Angola, we keep hopin', but a marginal, the North Sea, call the ambulance, this ones on life support...continental U.S., still important to us, but I think Hubbert himself kind of explained our "flexibility" after 1970, Alaska, please, don't, laughter causes my side to hurt, Brazil, who "supplies" themselves, and the loose catagory of "most other major suppliers" (???? Addresses, names, we need NAMES!!)

Now most folks here assume that the majority of the nations above are peaked (conspiracy theory?  No, it's a fact of history in many cases, and consensus based on visible evidence in some others....but some say they are not peaked, so there would need to be a conspiracy to hide it), and proceed to say of OPEC (we don't know if it's peaked or not...conspiracy to hide it?) that of OPEC, "as Saudi Arabia goes, so goes OPEC, and as OPEC, so goes the world (check the very good posts by Westexas), so The long and short of it is, do I need to be in "conspiracy" with Khazakistan to create a tighter oil market?

Greyzone, I think you were involved in a string on Aug 5th called " Heinberg: Middle East at a Crossroads" in which I was also involved.  In explaining the incongruities of explanation for what seemed to be almost exactly the same  results in 1979 through 1981 as we are seeing today, they used  two major explanations:  War  (question:  Is it possible there could be a war issue in the Persian Gulf today?) and to use another poster of long standing at TOD's own words,

"But the vast majority of us knew very well that OPEC was manipulating production and that the production swings was due to OPEC control and not anyone peaking."

My answer remains as it did then:  And yet, if control and " "manipulating production"  then (1979-1981) could create a situation where every Gulf state and in fact world production could drop for a half decade, and Saudi Arabia could stand at "plateau" for the full decade of the 1990's, why is it considered the ultimate horrendous sacralige to be considered remotely possible today?  Do we assume the world oil producing nations have renounced all desire for Earthly gain, and taken at last the vow of poverty (chastity? ummmm....perhaps later....)

J'accuse...you say....
"You claim no conspiracy needed then cite one as the basis of your post. Circular logic in the extreme."

Whom did I accuse of conspiracy with who, who are the conspirators?  I would make the case that if I accept the logic right here at TOD, then Saudi Arabia could engage in a conspiracy of one....no one knows their true production, their true capability, their true URR, and as the wise men say, "as Saudi Arabia, so goes the world"....it is to be noted that here, to speak of a "conspiracy of one" would be forbidden because it uses the concept of conspiracy!  But to call the Saudi's bold faced liars is considered a great sport!  (o,k, it may be justifiable sport and great fun, but still...)

 I must close confronting you with some hard questions my friend.
 How is it that folks here at TOD will blush as though they have seen a great sin,  foul indecency, or Lady Godiva upon her stallion, will cringe and turn away (!) from any suggestion that the producers of oil would act in their own behalf, and exercise their right to hold some sway over supply, (gad, man, De Beers has been doing it for over a century!!),... while having no difficulty accepting with no evidence or proof the idea that their suburban neighbors will in fact beat them with shovels to a merciless death in their happy post peak garden just to steal a bushel basket of their rutabagas!

P.S.  you guys have got to help me kick this writing habit, it is just too much fun!  :-)

Roger Conner  known to you as  ThatsItImout

Just MHO.